Recommended by Adam Richter

Steven Martin makes fools out of the alleged sophisticated grownups in the room in this delightful sendup of art, criticism and adulthood.

This is a haunting and profound short play. Both characters are rich and multidimensional. There's a lot here for actors to work with. "Faerie Ring" was a joy to read and would be amazing to see on stage.

We hear all the time about how female praying mantises decapitate their mates after sex, but did you ever wonder if the male actually LIKES it? Scott Sickles apparently did, and the willingness of Franz to die for his would-be girlfriend makes for a funny, witty one-minute play. Great potential for physical comedy here, as well.

A lovely meditation on what it means to a writer. It is by, about, and for playwrights specifically, but I imagine anyone who toils in creative writing, after the rest of the household has been put to bed and with dreams of "making it", will identify.

The title of this play does nothing to prepare you for the end, but the ending is exactly what the characters deserve. Funny and fast-paced. This would be a hoot onstage.

This dark and delightful satire of American life does a lot of heavy lifting in two short pages. These characters give you every reason to root for the meteor. Plus the play ends with one of the greatest stage directions ever put down on the page.

This is a delightful play that really nails the core conflict at the heart of the environmental movement. I also loved how grounded Angie was: idealistic but not a dreamer. Well done!

All the best kids have no tolerance for bullshit, and that's what makes Daphne such a delightful and funny character. She knows that the fun of childhood doesn't consist of pretending to be an adult. This was a joy to read and would be a scream onstage.

What seems a (ahem) flight of fancy is really a quite profound and poignant play about the fragility of the environment and the myriad ways we all depend on one another. Next time I want to compliment someone, I'm going to try telling them, "You're Bee 59,999!"

This is such an inventive way to stage the legend of the Bell Witch. Rachael Carnes does a great job bringing the characters to life — even the unseen children — and the darkly humorous turn on the final page makes for a perfect ending.